Society for Co-operation in Russian and Soviet Studies (SCRSS)
We braved the sub-zero temperatures today, to travel by Tube to Brixton and visit the headquarters of SCRSS (a Georgian dwelling built around 1820 to home a rich family and their servants). SCRSS has had a number of addresses in London since its inception in 1924, and moved to 320 Wynne House in 1969 (the house was being used as publishers-printers at the time.
In 2017 – at the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia – SCRSS organised an exhibition of photographs, posters, cards and pamphlets relevant to the Revolution, which successfully toured the UK. We finally managed to see this exhibition when it returned to SCRSS in November 2018, where we were informed that we could purchase certain items as the exhibition was dissolved. We chose a framed picture of Lenin stroking a cat, and Lenin returning the Finland Station to lead the Revolution! We were finally able to travel to Brixton today, to collect these items:
Ralph Gibson – the Sectetary of SCRSS – was very kind and arranged for tea, coffee and a biscuit – which we thankfully consumed whilst looking at the photographs currently hanging in the gallery room:
Mei-An and Kai-lin are always enthused by these kinds of visits, and love asking probing questions and physically exploring the premises. They looked at the display for the Soviet War Memorial, went downstairs to see the extensive library, and upstairs to see the classrooms where interesting lectures are delivered: